1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sealed golf ball. More particularly, the present invention relates to a sealed golf ball with remotely activated audible sound generator powered by an electromagnetically rechargeable battery.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many times when a golf ball is hit over a considerable distance by a golf club during the course of a game of golf, it lands in bushes, high grass, or behind a tree, and can be difficult to find. If the ball cannot be located, the golfer is penalized by two strokes and continues the game with another ball.
Numerous innovations for golf ball and object locators have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention in that they do not teach a sealed golf ball with remotely activated audible sound generator powered by an electromagnetically rechargeable battery.
FOR EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 391,508 to Lucas teaches the ornamental design for a combined transmitter and receiver for locating lost keys.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,730 to Horchler teaches an electronic golf ball comprising a central resilient sphere, a mass of elastic material surrounding the sphere and an outer casing, the central sphere including an electric squegging oscillator circuit, a battery therefor and a transmitting coil, all enclosed in a spherical mass of a set resin which forms a solid core, the spherical mass being located with close fit in a hollow spherical cavity formed in the central resilient sphere. The battery is a mercury cell located within the transmitting coil, as are the other components of the squegging oscillator circuit. The electrical circuit may include components which permit the oscillator to be turned on and off when the golf ball is brought into, and then moved out of, an A.C. magnetic field having a predetermined frequency.
STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,873 to Anderson et al. teaches miniaturized coded transmitter and battery powered receivers that are electively responsive to a predetermined code transmission and are provided with a miniaturized audible signal generator in each receiver such that the receiver, when interrogated by a proper signal, will respond audibly. By placing such receivers on commonly used objects such as eyeglasses, purses, and other personal articles, audible location of these articles is accomplished by interrogating each object with a corresponding coded signal and following the audible response from the object to the position of the object to locate the latter. The duty cycle of the receiver is very short and recurrent over intervals less than the known energization interval of the transmitter to insure reception, but materially minimize the power consumption of the receivers.
YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,653 to Bayer teaches a miniature, battery-operated electronic unit adapted to be attached to a common article, such as keys or eyeglasses. The unit is responsive to a plurality of sounds for emitting audible tones to enable a misplaced article to be located. A sound detecting and indicating circuit provides the audible tones upon receipt of a sequence of sounds falling within predetermined frequency, time spacing, and amplitude ranges. The correct sequence of sounds is generated by the user by clapping, whistling, or making any other loud sounds, and no additional transmitting device is required. Improper sequences of sounds are prevented from producing false activation of the unit. Extremely low power consumption, resulting in part from CMOS technology, allows the unit to remain on continuously for a period of six to nine months using standard camera (button cell) batteries. Special battery-saver circuitry prolongs battery life. The unit can be fabricated using gate array or custom chip technology, which results in extremely small size and low cost of manufacture. A visual indicator allows the user to learn proper operation.
STILL YET EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,549 to Englmeier teaches a device with a signal receiving unit for locating golf balls. Each golf ball is associated with a transmitting unit and the signals emitted by each transmitting unit are detected by the signal receiving unit. The transmitting unit is associated with an energy store as an operating voltage source. The device includes a charging circuit with an energy transmitter for wireless transmission of the electrical energy to an energy receiver connected in front of the energy store. Immediately after the charging phase of the energy store, the transmitting unit starts sending transmission signals and in so doing discharges the energy store. The transmitted signals received by the signal receiving unit are fed to an evaluation circuit which produces an output signal for locating the golf ball. This output signal is then fed to a display unit. After a certain discharge time, the transmitting unit stops transmitting the transmission signals. The golf ball is located only during this limited transmission time. Golf balls which have been mishit can be located rapidly and simply using the device.
YET STILL EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,314 to Yamazaki et al. teaches a sound emitting golf ball for locating a golf ball after it is struck by a golf club. The system comprises a miniaturized electronic, battery powered piezoelectric sound generator surrounded by a shock absorber that is embedded inside a golf ball. The sound generating system is constructed with very small, inexpensive shock resistant components and embedded at the center of the golf ball, inside the shock absorber. The system can be designed to operate in the audible or ultrasonic range.
STILL YET EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,531 to Little teaches golf balls that have a passive tag at selected capacitance inserted within their interior to enable detection of the presence of the tag, and of the ball, using an electronic detecting system. The tags are passive, being energized into emitting a signal by the presence of a detector field of predetermined characteristics such that the tag generates a responsive signal, which can be detected by an adjacent detector circuit, to signal the presence of a tagged ball. One field of use is for driving ranges, where the unauthorized removal of range balls constitutes an unacceptable loss for the proprietors of the establishment. The system also lends itself to finding lost balls, using a hand-portable detector, and to use with other types of game ball.
FINALLY, YET STILL EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,686,891 to Sacca et al. teaches a system for locating an object. The system includes an electronic device, a wireless transmitter for outputting a transmitted signal, and a receiver wherein one of the receiver and the transmitter is mounted within the electronic device and the other is positioned remote therefrom. The receiver comprises a wake up timer circuit for periodically generating a wake up signal, a wireless signal receiver being activated by the receipt of the wake up signal from the wake up timer circuit for generating a detect signal when the wireless signal receiver circuit receives the transmitted signal from the transmitter, and an audible signal generator circuit for generating an audible signal upon receipt of the detect signal from the wireless signal receiver circuit. The wake up timer circuit and the wireless signal receiver circuit are disabled when the audible signal generator circuit generates the audible signal.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for golf ball and object locators have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.